A defense treaty is not how Biden should fix the Saudi relationship
Defense OneMAY 2023
Recent developments and bin Salman's statements about normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations are promising. This is also because it's now no longer a question of whether an agreement is possible but of the concrete terms of a deal between Riyadh and Tel Aviv. Moreover, Netanyahu has acknowledged that a rapprochement depends on a solution to the Palestinian issue. The task of normalizing ties is complicated and complex, but the conditions for a historic breakthrough are better than they have been for a long time.
Despite all the media hype about a possible normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties, Washington's efforts are only the latest in a long line of US diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East. While Biden and Netanyahu seek an agreement with Riyadh for domestic, economic, and geopolitical reasons, bin Salman is in no hurry and is clearly the one setting the direction and pace of negotiations. Expect the usual US-sponsored "peace processing" concerning a possible two-state solution, but no breakthrough in the coming years.